205, 



Miscellaneous. 



1. Gmelina Leichhardtii (White Beech). 



2. Ceratopetalum apetalum (Coach Wood). 



3. Doryphora sassafras (Sassafras). 



4. Litscea reticulata (Bolly Gum). 



5. Castanospermum australe (Black Bean). 



6. Alphitonia excelsa (Red Ash). 

 Y. Ficus ruliginosa (Eusty Fig). 



Gmelina Leichhardtii, P.v.M. 

 The White Beech. 



Botanical Name. — Gmelina, in honor of George Gmelin, a German 

 naturalist and traveller (Georg Friedrich), author of a botanical work 

 published at Tiibingen in 1699. Leichhardtii is also in honor of a German 

 naturalist and traveller, an Australian explorer, whose name is ever before- 

 the people of New South Wales and Queensland. 



Vernacular Names. — This tree is favoured by being universally known 

 as Beech, or White Beech, and by no other names; but it should be borne 

 in mind that hardly any term is more loosely known in New South Wales 

 than that of Beech. We have a true Beech (the Negro-head,, Fagus Moorei), 

 and, in addition, She Beech, Blue Beech, Brown Beech, Bully Beech, and 

 many other Beeches, most .of which only resemble each other in all being 

 totally dissimilar to the Beech of Europe. 



Flowers. — They are very handsome, white with purple markings, as stated 

 by Bentham, and sometimes almost entirely purple. 



Leaves. — The leaves are rather large, and show handsome venation, par- 

 ticularly on the underside. Like many other verbenaceous plants, they 

 readily fall off in drying. 



Timher. — A very useful' timber, strong, durable, and easily worked. It 

 does not expand in damp or contract in dry weather if moderately seasoned, 

 hence it is much prized for the decks of vessels and the flooring of verandahs. 

 Speaking of this timber, Mr. Baeuerlen wrote to me : — 



I have just seen a staircase, and eleven months ago the tree from which the 

 wood was taken was growing in the forest. It was cut at once, green as it was, 

 and up to the present no sign of shriulilng or cracking can be seen. 



It warps neither in plank nor in log. It is excellent for picture-frames, 

 and is a wood frequently chosen where it would' not be safe to trust a wood 

 of which there might be doubts as to whether it would shrink or warp. It 

 is used for the floats of mill-wheels, the jambs of windows, and for inmimier- 

 able other purposes. It would be almost impossible to misplace it for 

 ordinary indoor carpentry work. If I were asked to name the three most 

 valuable timbers of New South Wales I would say, Grey Ironbark, Cedar, 

 and ^eech. 



